PHOENIX - A year after helping Bourgade Catholic football turn the page on two winless seasons, head coach Andrew Yates and his players are entering the upcoming season with a different mindset and significantly higher expectations.
The Golden Eagles finished 6-4 in Yates' first season as head coach, giving the program its first winning season after going 0-10 in each of the previous two years. Now, the team is not satisfied with simply having a winning record.
"We just came off scrimmages last week against Arizona Lutheran and Phoenix Christian," Yates said during the annual Catholic School Football Media Day hosted by Brophy Athletics on Aug. 15. "Two established programs in 2A and we went out there and competed well.'
Those scrimmages provided an early test against physical teams that run the triple option, giving Bourgade Catholic an opportunity to identify areas for improvement before the regular season.
For Yates, the goal is clear.
"We're looking to be a top 24 team in the state," he said. "If we don't make the state playoffs then it's a letdown."
That expectation is a significant shift for a program that has undergone frequent coaching changes in recent years. Yates said establishing consistency has allowed the players to focus less on adjusting to a new system and more on developing as football players.
"With something sable behind them, they have confidence that they can work and their work will be rewarded with wins at the end of the season rather than focusing on learning a new defense, learning a new offense," Yates said.
That stability has also helped change the culture around the program.
Senior quarterback Eli Salas, who has been the Golden Eagles' starting quarterback since the second half of his freshman season, said last year's success only increased the team's desire to compete.
"I think we're a more dangerous football team this year since we already know what winning feels like,' Salas said.
Salas enters his final season with an even greater sense of responsibility. Rather than allowing the seniors to carry the burden of the team's expectations, he wants the entire roster to embrace them.
"I don't want it to be just the seniors who want it as bad as everybody else," Salas said. "I want everybody to be in that same mindset. Everybody want it as bad as the next person."
Senior defensive lineman Angel Jacquez has seen firsthand how the program has changed since Yates arrived. Jacquez said the expectations established by Yates created a new standard for the players and ultimately changed the environment surrounding Bourgade Catholic football.
"He's changed the culture. He changed the culture of Bourgade, so it's a whole different place and environment now," Jacquez said.
Jacquez said the 2026 roster may be smaller, but the players who remain are committed to making the most of the opportunity.
"We're not here to just have another 6-4 season," he said. "We're here to make a run at the state playoffs. We're not here to just be a feel good story. We're here to do something with our program and hopefully change our program around."
The Golden Eagles will lean heavily on the leadership of Salas and Jacquez, two players Yates said have established themselves as leaders without needing to be appointed.
"I've never chosen my captains. The captains and leaders choose themselves," Yates said.
Yates said both seniors have consistently demonstrated the accountability and competitiveness he expects from his players. Salas echoed the sentiment, pointing to his long-standing friendship with Jacquez as a key part of the team's leadership.
"He challenges me at practice" Salas said. "I just love the competitiveness from him. He makes me a better football player on the other side of the ball."
That leadership will be especially important for a young roster. Bourgade Catholic started six freshmen on varsity at one point last season, and Yates said the program has continued to emphasize player development.
"We have big goals and we know we have to be better everywhere," he said. "In the classroom, around campus and with us being so young."
For Salas, that development extends beyond what happens between the lines. The Golden Eagles incorporate their Catholic identity into the football program, including prayer before practices and games and attending Mass together on game days.
"I feel like it's a very important part of each year, every one of our games. You can't leave God out. You can't do anything without God," he said.
Jacquez said the team's faith also influences how the players approach their opponents.
"We're out there as brothers, even as the opposite team," he said. "We're out there playing in a way for each other. So we always have to remember that we're all brothers in Christ."
The Golden Eagles know they have more to prove in 2026 and Yates and his players are looking to build on that foundation and turn a breakthrough season into something more.
"We know failure. We know we'll never go back to that," Yates said. "So we might as well go for it all."
Bourgade Catholic football opens up their season at home against San Pasqual High School. Kickoff is at 7PM.
